Knicks vs. Hawks: 3 keys for New York in Game 4 of first-round playoff

After suffering another loss that came down to a final possession, the Knicks trail the Atlanta Hawks, 2-1, in the first round.

In New York’s 109-108 loss to the Hawks, there were several moments to note. OG Anunoby emerged with 29 points. The Knicks outscored Atlanta, 56-40, in the paint. But the Hawks shot better from the three-point line (39 percent).

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As New York tries to even the series on Saturday night, here are three keys to Game 4…

Absent starters need to come through

New York’s starters scored 78 points on Thursday night, but 76 of those points came from the trio of Anunoby, Jalen Brunson (26 points), and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points). The other two starters — Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart –combined for just two points in 61 minutes.

Bridges was scoreless in 21 minutes, attempting just three shots. He was also a -26 and had four turnovers, leading to him being benched for much of the second half in favor of Deuce McBride. That turned out to be the right decision as McBride was instrumental in New York’s comeback attempt.

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The absent offensive performance was another notable moment in an uneven two-year stretch for Bridges. The external noise around the Knicks trading five first-round picks for Bridges only grows louder after performances like this. Hart had two points on 1-for-9 from the field and he missed all four of his attempts from the three-point line.

Hart and Bridges have made significant contributions defensively in this series, and Hart did have nine rebounds and six assists on Thursday. But both players have played a part in New York’s substandard offensive play. New York will need more from both Bridges and Hart on the offensive end in Game 4.

The next logical step is head coach Mike Brown possibly making a change to the starting lineup. As SNY’s Ian Begley noted, one of the burning questions for Game 4 is if McBride will replace Bridges.

Limiting miscues

Creating turnovers on defense is crucial to the Hawks’…